Organizations and international institutions are warning that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis[1] in spite of the humanitarian aid provided by the international community. Already now, Gaza is facing a water crisis, extreme pollution, electricity shortage, restricted access to health services and education as well as economic distress. All these hardships turn life into a daily struggle for survival for Gaza’s residents, both women and men. Amidst all this, women are dealing with a wide range of gender specific challenges[2]. This situation is the cumulative outcome of a decade-long siege on Gaza, in addition to the frequent military offensives on the strip every few years, and the failed attempts at reconstruction in-between these rounds.

The Gaza strip is under a high degree of effective control by Israel and is therefore under its occupation. Israel has repeatedly refused to fulfill its obligations under international law.

Therefore, we turn to the UN and EU, to hold Israel accountable and to ensure human rights for Gaza’s residents.

Organizations and international institutions are warning that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis[1] in spite of the humanitarian aid provided by the international community. Already now, Gaza is facing a water crisis, extreme pollution, electricity shortage, restricted access to health services and education as well as economic distress. All these hardships turn life into a daily struggle for survival for Gaza’s residents, both women and men. Amidst all this, women are dealing with a wide range of gender specific challenges[2]. This situation is the cumulative outcome of a decade-long siege on Gaza, in addition to the frequent military offensives on the strip every few years, and the failed attempts at reconstruction in-between these rounds.

The Gaza strip is under a high degree of effective control by Israel and is therefore under its occupation. Israel has repeatedly refused to fulfill its obligations under international law.

Therefore, we turn to the UN and EU, to hold Israel accountable and to ensure human rights for Gaza’s residents.

Include women and youth in all analysis and policy decisions related to Gaza.

Ensure Israeli accountability for its human rights violations in Gaza.

Organizations and international institutions are warning that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis[1] in spite of the humanitarian aid provided by the international community. Already now, Gaza is facing a water crisis, extreme pollution, electricity shortage, restricted access to health services and education as well as economic distress. All these hardships turn life into a daily struggle for survival for Gaza’s residents, both women and men. Amidst all this, women are dealing with a wide range of gender specific challenges[2]. This situation is the cumulative outcome of a decade-long siege on Gaza, in addition to the frequent military offensives on the strip every few years, and the failed attempts at reconstruction in-between these rounds.

The Gaza strip is under a high degree of effective control by Israel and is therefore under its occupation. Israel has repeatedly refused to fulfill its obligations under international law.

Therefore, we turn to the UN and EU, to hold Israel accountable and to ensure human rights for Gaza’s residents.

On March 29th, The Coalition of Women for Peace is planning to hold a conference on women in Gaza, entitled “Women Beyond the Siege”. The conference will be held at Al-Saraya theatre in Jaffa, and will host a video conference with women in Gaza, as well as feminist activists from the local and international community.

Right wing activists, in cooperation with the ministry of Culture are trying to cancel the planned event. On March 22nd, Israeli news website NRG, published an item challenging the legitimacy of holding this event supposedly due to Coalition of Women for Peace’s political stance, and quoting Culture Ministry official saying that they plan to look into state funding to the theatre.

In recent years, the state of Israel has been passing legislation, advocating and acting publically in various ways against the civil society and against any criticism of the government and its policy, creating an atmosphere of intimidation, deterrence for resistance and limiting activists, organizations, and groups opposing the occupation and acting against human rights violations.

This is but one of many cases in which Human Rights Defenders, and specifically Women Human Rights Defenders have been persecuted and it is crucial to act for the rights of these women to express their political beliefs and be protected from persecution.

The invitation to “Women Beyond the Siege”, states “Organizations and international institutions are warning that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Already now, Gaza is facing a water crisis, extreme pollution, electricity shortage as well as economic distress. All these hardships turn life into a daily struggle for survival for Gaza’s residents, both women and men. This situation is the cumulative outcome of a decade-long siege on Gaza, in addition to the frequent military offensives on the strip every few years, and the attempts at reconstruction in-between these rounds. Amidst all this, women in Gaza are dealing with specific difficulties and challenges. But as already the situation in Gaza is rarely brought up, the situation of women is even less present in public debates.”

Indeed, it seems that Israeli officials are interested on keeping the voices of women in Gaza unheard and the effects of the siege not talked about in the public discourse.

The event will be held as planned, despite these attempt at silencing the women’s voices and we urge you to attend the event in support, and spread this message to help us let these voices be heard.

The event will take place on March 29th at 18:00, at Al-Saraya theatre in Jaffa.
Please contact cwp@coalitionofwomen.org for any further information.

Organizations and international institutions are warning that Gaza is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Already now, Gaza is facing a water crisis, extreme pollution, electricity shortage as well as economic distress. All these hardships turn life into a daily struggle for survival for Gaza’s residents, both women and men. This situation is the cumulative outcome of a decade-long siege on Gaza, in addition to the frequent military offensives on the strip every few years, and the attempts at reconstruction in-between these rounds.

Amidst all this, women in Gaza are dealing with specific difficulties and challenges. But as already the situation in Gaza is rarely brought up, the situation of women is even less present in public debates. Precisely because of that, we ought to be all ears and listen to the calls coming from Gaza, to learn and to become active.

We will be shedding light on these issues in our conference “WOMEN BEYOND THE SIEGE”.

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Women hold a banner as more than 1,000 activists take part in a protest on the Israeli side of Erez Crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, calling the Israeli government to stop the siege of Gaza, January 26, 2008.</p>

Code Pink activists accompany Dr. Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams attempting to enter the Gaza strip during a protest against the Israeli blockade on the Gaza strip at the Erez border crossing June 7, 2009.

On International Women’s Day 2014 we, feminist activists against the occupation, choose to stand as close as we can to the
northern-most neighborhood in Gaza Strip.

More than a million and a half women and men are living on the other side of the fence, though the Israeli public is completely oblivious to their existence. The daily ordeals, life and experiences of women under siege are hidden from our eyes by walls of concrete, fences and silence.

On International Women’s Day we stand in solidarity with the struggles of women in Israel., Palestine and all over the world who live under oppression .

This year we chose on this day to come and stand here by Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of women are besieged, living in extreme conditions, experiencing water shortage, lack of medical and educational services, limited freedom of movement and poverty.

Let’s open our eyes and look beyond the walls, call for an end of the siege, and an end to the navel and aerial blockade on the Gaza Strip, for life, freedom and dignity

The recent escalation in the Israeli army incursions into the Gaza strip is of grave concern to us at the Coalition of Women for Peace. The prospect of yet another flare out of large scale violence against civilians is alarming. Your recent comments on the Goldstone report are already interpreted by Israeli officials and the mainstream media channels as complete and full absolution of Israel’s military conduct in its entirety. Yet, the conclusions drawn from your statement with respect to Israel’s conduct during the Cast Lead military campaign and especially its aftermath are not backed by any new facts or findings. This seriously undermines the international, Israeli and Palestinian civil society struggle for accountability and against impunity from grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

You state that “we know more today about what happened in Gaza.” Which new facts have been uncovered? We who monitor the Israeli government and the situation closely on the ground know that no information was brought out to contradict the meticulous documentation of the fact finding mission you headed. In fact, it is the international pressure generated by the publication of the Goldstone report that has forced Israel to launch a significant number of investigations in the first place. These investigations corroborate what the Israeli and Palestinian civil societies already know: Israel systematically fails to conduct thorough and impartial investigations meeting international standards. As a matter of fact, most investigations prompted by the Goldstone report have not been completed yet, and those which have been completed generated only three rather minor indictments of lower rank soldiers. Considering the scope of destruction and the civilians killed during operation Cast Lead, it cannot be said that those responsible for grave violations that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity have been brought to justice.

A key contribution of the Goldstone report to the public comprehension of the Israeli/Palestinian reality has been its readiness to approach seriously the actual context of the outbreak of violence in Gaza. This is the persistent blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, and its continued control on Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. The recommendations to Israel – carrying your distinguished signature as a world renowned jurist – clearly addressed the blockade on Gaza, calling on Israel to immediately cease the border closures and allow free passage of goods and people to and from the Strip. The report recommends that Israel release Palestinian political prisoners, and cease actions that limit the expression of dissent by civil society organizations. The innovation of the report was precisely its readiness to acknowledge the overwhelming responsibility of the powerful party in the conflict.

Israel ignored the report and its recommendations, and did not lift the blockade or stop the persecution of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders. The only notable change in the status quo was the escalation, immediately following the publication of the Goldstone report, of government attacks and the campaign of de-legitimization of human rights organizations and civil society. The Israeli government is currently promoting legislation, which aims at curbing our freedom of expression, freedom of association and basic social and political liberties. This political persecution is further marginalizing and excluding Palestinian and Jewish women in Israel, who oppose the militarized political establishment. The Goldstone report gave an official international force to the ever increasing demand to hold Israel accountable for grave violations of international law. Your statements undermine the credibility of the United Nations and its ability to effectively enforce international standards of conduct and international humanitarian and human rights law. Now more than ever the stakes are high for those struggling for accountability and against impunity in Israel/Palestine. Your statement raises the stakes further by granting Israel legitimacy it so desperately needs to continue its aggressive campaigns of repression of dissent on the domestic and international front.

Dear Justice Goldstone, we are asking you to do all that is in your power to enable the international community to hold Israeli leaders accountable. Only a serious commitment to accountability, which would end Israel’s impunity can prevent the next war. As it stands now, your statement is already used to justify and legitimize future crimes, even before the next war has started.

CWP Update: Solidarity in Israel with Gaza and with the Freedom Flotilla

1. The Siege of Gaza

Early Monday morning, we woke up to the horrible news of the Israeli raid on the peace activists of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which killed more than 10 people and injured dozens. Many of the hundreds of activists, who were on the boats, are still imprisoned by Israeli security forces, awaiting their deportation. The flotilla was carrying 10,000 tons of food, medicine and other supplies to Gaza, which has been placed under siege by Israel since 2005 (with harsher restrictions since June 2007).

The siege, intended to isolate and debilitate Gaza, is a collective punishment of a civilian population of 1.5 million people. Since the siege has been placed, the Coalition of Women for Peace has been publicly denouncing it and calling for its immediate removal. The international community can no longer stand by – it must use any diplomatic and civilian means to pressure Israel to end the siege of Gaza, punish Israeli officials responsible for war crimes and end the occupation.

This Friday, the Coalition of Organizations against the Occupation and the Palestinian Popular Committees will hold a joint action to mark 43 years to the June 1967 occupation of Palestinian lands. 43 years of domination, oppression, segregation, settlement enterprise, theft of water and lands, military regime, restrictions on movement, house demolitions, political arrests, torture, war crimes and colonial expansion. In this action, we will call for Israel to remove the siege of Gaza, to end the occupation and to stop the separation between Palestinians and Israelis and between Palestinians and their lands. We call on our friends in the international community to hold solidarity vigils around the world – protesting the siege of Gaza, the ongoing occupation of Palestine and the deadly assault on innocent civilians, who tried to break the siege.

Demonstration at the Port of Ashdod, 31 May 2010

2. Solidarity in Israel with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla

The Coalition of Women for Peace stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine and with heroic members of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Despite attempts by Israeli media and public officials to present a unanimous support for the illegal assault on international peace activists, thousands of Israelis have been protesting in the past few days against it.

Spontaneous demonstrations were held immediately after news of the brutal assault on the flotilla – in Haifa, Nazareth, Shefa-‘Amr and other cities in Israel. At the same time, 250 Israeli activists arrived at the Port of Ashdod, in an action organized by the Coalition of Women for Peace and other Israeli organizations, to protest the brutal killing and to voice their solidarity with the Flotilla and with the Palestinian people. On Monday evening, mass demonstrations were held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Um-El-Fahem. The demonstrators called for international involvement to lift the siege of Gaza. More demonstrations are being held throughout this week across Palestine and Israel.

Prior to the deadly raid CWP published a public declaration in support of the flotilla:

We would like to share with you some of the voices of CWP members following the raid:

In a personal account of the Israeli resistance to the attack on the flotilla, Inna Michaeli, CWP’s Resource and Development Coordinator, writes: “Despite this attempt to silence criticism, there are many Israeli citizens that object to this massacre and demand accountability from those responsible. The official version of the military and government has very little credibility, especially after imposing an electronic blockade on attempts to document the raid. The international community has done so little to bring to trial those accountable for war crimes committed against the Palestinian people. Will other countries make more of an effort to intervene after crimes have been committed against their own citizens?”

Eilat Maoz, the General Coordinator of the Coalition of Women for Peace, said: “The killing of more than 10 activists is exclusively the responsibility of the State of Israel, and it was fully within Israel’s power to avoid the wasteful spilling of blood. The siege of Gaza and the pirate takeover by the Israeli Military of the Flotilla vessels – these are the real provocations. This atrocity must open the eyes of the international community to the crimes perpetrated by Israel.”

Areen Hawari, Balad activist, member of the Coalition of Women for Peace and a close person to MK Hanin Zoabi, who was on one of the vessels, said: “If this is what the State of Israel is capable of doing to peace activists, human rights defenders and members of parliament, then what is it capable of doing to civilians under military occupation? Now is the time to wake up the international struggle against the siege of Gaza and the occupation.”

The Coalition of Women for Peace is currently working on additional local and international actions. Please contact us with your ideas, suggestions and information on actions you organize: cwp@coalitionofwomen.org